Oh man... I was just losing it with just one listen of the new LP by Mindrot, _Soul_. What happened? I was in fact a big fan of Mindrot, cherishing their two previous Relapse recordings, _Forlorn_ EP and debut full-length _Dawning_, but there was something very different about the new Mindrot. I had talked to bassist Matt a few months back, just prior to the efforts' release (and having only heard one or two new tracks) and he had mentioned that the band had altered their sound, experimented with the Mindrot sound and were very proud of what they had done with it. So I took that in stride and when I got _Soul_ and slapped it on. Shock. Unrest. Disbelief. The band had changed quite a bit in three years. While still respondent to the eerie, atmospheric overtones of complex metal that they had been known for, this Southern California outfit had thrown into their musical cache an onslaught of violent hardcore-esque riffs and vocals. What the fuck!? Holy shit... I was in disbelief. How could this happen? Wasn't this going to ruin the essence of what Mindrot was about: searching of a soul through music? Oh... wait a second. Hold the phone. Okay... now I get it. I investigated my thoughts a bit more on the makeup of _Soul_ and for one day, through 12-15 spins I cranked _Soul_. Over and over the record blasted from my boombox and I started to feel and understand the workings of the band. This was shaping up to being a godly sounding record. Warped within harrowing screams of anguish and fluctuating through softened tales of despair and hardened calls of anger and violence, Mindrot reveal a true catastrophic view of society and the world we live in with _Soul_. This LP discovers the makeup of one's life and it tells a tale. Open it up moreso for the world to see and it becomes quite a spectacle to delve into. That's how I feel with _Soul_. You hear it in the background and it's a pure, powerful dose of metal music tinged with hardcore stylings, but with more of an in-depth analysis it becomes quite a creepy piece of work to listen to. Lyrically and musically, _Soul_ defines the ways of Mindrot, and it's a definition of great character and strong ambitions to succeed in showcasing talented works of creativity in recordings. Mission accomplished. A great band that more should discover for themselves. Here is your chance, kids.